Filming wraps for UTPA's biggest flick yet

Production of UTPA's first full-length film, The Red Queen, will conclude next Monday, after 28 days of production, writer and director David B. Carren of UTPA's Communication Department faculty said.

Although students have produced films in the Pan American Summer Television program for 17 years, The Red Queen is UTPA's first that is both a Screen Actors Guild and a Writers Guild of America film, meaning that contracts were needed with the two unions to pursue production, Carren said.

In The Red Queen, the adolescent protagonist searches for the truth about her mother's death, while viewers will observe "a lot of surprises and shocks," said Carren.

"The mystery of this movie is, ‘Who is the Red Queen, and what does she have to do with the girl's mother?'" said Carren.

Scenes of the film have been shot all over the Valley, from St. John the Baptist in San Juan, to UTPA's TV studio. Carren and his team have also recreated McAllen's Art Walk for several shots and will film in Port Isabel on Monday the remainder of the film.

The cast is comprised of 26 actors, four of whom are professional actors and union members: Valente Rodriguez, Shannon Sauceda, Estephania LeBaron and Harley Jane Kozak. The other actors, Carren said, are primarily students.

Carren said he plans to enter a rough cut of The Red Queen in the Sundance Film Festival in October and to premiere the finished version locally in December. He said that he also hopes to sell the film on DVD to bring revenue to UTPA.

Lynnea Olivarez covers general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4422.